Comments on: Renault commit to F1 future as Briatore weighs up legal action

By: Philip

Philip — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:44:49 +0000

Found one of the references:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78797

On this reading, wouldn’t it mean that NPj had breached the terms of his immunity?

By: Wrapping up Renault “crashgate” @ Sponsor Alley

Wrapping up Renault “crashgate” @ Sponsor Alley — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:38:46 +0000

[...] James Allen writes on the conclusion here. [...]

By: Spyros

Spyros — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:16:12 +0000

In both Symonds and Piquet’s versions of events, Flavio knew of the conspiracy, whether he authorized it or not. When it happened, he did nothing to bring it to light, and to this day, he denies any knowledge of it. FIA’s point seems to be that they take a very dim view of the fact that he not only knew (or worse, took part in) the conspiracy, but he refuses to acknowledge it.

An interesting part of the full FIA transcripts focuses on the letter he wrote to the Piquets, when he says they blackmailed him. FIA’s report asks why an ( innocent) F1 team principal, faced with allegations of such seriousness, didn’t immediately launch an internal inverstigation or, even better, inform FIA about the allegations.

Even Ron Dennis, who’s actions FIA wasn’t impressed with either, in Stepneygate, reacted to Alonso’s threat to disclose the offending e-mails by telling Mosley all about them. Flavio simply wrote an angry letter…

Unlike the other parties, including witness X, Briatore was the manager of the team. For the manager, unlike the others, knowledge of a conspiracy automatically means that he is part of it. Not only did he not disclose it, but he keeps denying it. I’m not suggesting that ‘X’ is wholly innocent here, but Flavio most certainly is not!

By: Philip

Philip — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:54:45 +0000

I’m reading elsewhere that Witness X supported Pat’s claim that the suggestion was originally NPj’s. Your conclusion is the opposite. Can you explain the discrepancy? Ta.

By: BrettW

BrettW — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:14:04 +0000

The ban is not on Briatore himself. As the reports have said nobody is actually banned from anything. The statement by the FIA is really them saying that they won’t do any business with anyone that does business with Briatore. In effect they are applying a ban on themselves specifically to avoid a claim of restraint of trade. Had they said that FB was banned from anything the situation would be different.

By: James Allen

James Allen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:48:02 +0000

Thanks for that, Peter

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:39:05 +0000

I’ll say again that reading the papers from the FIA meeting on Monday I was struck by the reply from PKjr’s lawyers to the FIA’s question about whether or not PKjr first suggested the crash. In a short letter the lawyers use the term “deliberate crash” three times, never just “crash”, to deny it was PKjr’s idea. This leaves open the possibility of PKjr being the first to mention “a crash” (perhaps in a moment of self-depracating black humour), which is what Pat Symonds says, the “crash” only becoming in later discussions a “deliberate crash”.

By: Laurence H

Laurence H — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:29:21 +0000

Is it not also astonishing that the result of the race is allowed to stand. If I was Alonso (god forbid), I would ask for it to be removed from my record. As long as it remains there, he is tarnished by association. His record reads:- Alonso – Poles: 18, Wins: 21 (but remember one of those was achieved by his team cheating).
It would look a lot better as Poles: 18, Wins: 20…

By: Lia

Lia — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:15:21 +0000

That is exactly how I see it also. Because it is hardly convincing, that Symonds and Briatore were elaborating the plan, fully dependant on Piquet, including adjusting Alonso’s strategy, and only 4 or 5 hours, as the driver puts it, before the race asked whether he would crash for them or not.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:58:55 +0000

Good post. I would add to it by saying “follow the money” that Renault invests in Junior Formula. I am sure the FIA did not want to lose that money from Renault. Life isn’t fair.